In Aus, we gotta wear uniform but it's not like it's a strict thing. As in, you have to wear the uniform, but shirts out, collars undone, lengths of skirts anywhere from just under the crotch to ankles, ties or no ties, platform shoes, boots, whatever. so long as you kinda look like everyone else. And what about hair! I think the record for one girl was eleven separate clips at once as well as hair ties, bows, etc.
As for the education system!
IT sucks. The whole point is to give you marks for uni. They couldn't care less if you learnt something or not, as long as you can regurgitate a definition and an evaluation (memorised during 'study', of course) during the exam. The only subjects i remotely think have nothing to do with memorisation are english and maybe drama so far- our last two assessments in drama were to do with improvisation, so no memory work. And english, put down any resistant reading you like in big words and you're fine.
okay, that's my rant for now...